Mata Zyndu

Mata Zyndu's entire life is defined by the tragic history of his clan and his singular quest to restore its honor.

Born in the Tunoa Islands, Mata is the last heir of the once-great Zyndu clan. His grandfather, Marshal Dazu Zyndu, was a brilliant general betrayed by his own king during the Xana invasion. After being forced to surrender, Dazu's army was buried alive.[TGOK-2]Emperor Mapidéré then ordered the extermination of the entire Zyndu clan. Only Mata's uncle, Phin Zyndu, escaped, saving the infant Mata. Raised in exile and poverty, Mata was forged by his uncle's all-consuming purpose, embodied by the constant refrain: 'Do not forget.'[TGOK-2]

When rebellion against the Xana Empire begins, Mata seizes his opportunity. He assassinates the local Xana commander, reclaims his ancestral castle, and recovers his family's legendary weapons: the sword Na-aroénna ('The Ender of Doubts') and the cudgel Goremaw.[TGOK-7]In a display of godlike martial prowess, he and Phin slaughter the Xana garrison, inspiring hundreds to join his cause. He forms a sworn brotherhood with Kuni Garu, becoming a key military leader in the rebellion.[TGOK-7][TGOK-19]However, the first signs of his ruthlessness appear after the fall of Dimu, where he orders the massacre of the surrendered garrison, creating the first true fracture in his friendship with Kuni.[TGOK-23]

Mata's descent into tyranny is hastened by personal tragedy, particularly the murder of his uncle Phin and the death of Princess Kikomi, which leave him emotionally shattered.[TGOK-27]After his victory at the Battle of Wolf's Paw, he commits his most monstrous act: sacrificing 20,000 surrendered prisoners to the sea, earning the epithet 'Butcher of Wolf's Paw.'[TGOK-31]Believing Kuni Garu stole his glory by capturing Pan first, Mata burns the capital, kills the boy-emperor, and declares himself Hegemon, sparking a new civil war.[TGOK-33]The brutal war culminates in Mata's army being surrounded and on the verge of collapse. The final blow comes when he discovers his confidante, Lady Mira, has taken her own life rather than watch him die. Cradling her body, he leads a final, suicidal charge and ultimately takes his own life on a snowy beach, ending the Chrysanthemum-Dandelion War.[TGOK-50]